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Surveillance over migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey in Germany: From the disciplinary society to the society of control

Posted on:2008-06-18Degree:Ph.DType:Thesis
University:Queen's University (Canada)Candidate:Topal, CagatayFull Text:PDF
GTID:2446390005957730Subject:Sociology
Abstract/Summary:
This study argues that surveillance over migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey in Germany is a means of inclusion and exclusion in order to portray them as "(un)suitable" foreign subjects. However, this surveillance is slowly but surely changing its character. The changing characteristics of surveillance regimes in some ways reflect the Deleuzean thesis of the theoretical shift from the disciplinary society to the society of control. Migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey affect surveillance regimes by complying with, neutralizing, negotiating, and resisting surveillance. The situation of migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey in Germany is realized as a combined effect of surveillance, immigration and globalization processes. The change in surveillance reflects the changes in political, economic, cultural and social regimes throughout the second half of the 20th century and in the implementation of these regimes within the German context. Surveillance is the essential tool for matching their characteristics and the system requirements of Germany.;Keywords. surveillance, immigration, globalization, life-production, communication and information technologies, the disciplinary society, the society of control, migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey in Germany, 9/11.;The study questions the shift from the disciplinary society to the society of control based on several criteria. Among these are the features of capitalist structures, the characteristics of migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey, the types of discourses, cooperation among various social forces, the working and living conditions of migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey in Germany and the characteristics of surveillance practices. The study asserts that migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey in Germany are subjected to intensified surveillance today. Especially after the September 11 terrorist attacks, surveillance over them has become intensified, focused and arbitrary. Their economic, religious, ethnic and cultural characteristics are all significant for surveillance purposes. Based on the case of surveillance over migrant workers and immigrants from Turkey in Germany, the overall claim of the study is that there is an ongoing shift of emphasis from the disciplinary society to the society of control, although it seems unlikely that the disciplinary aspects will finally disappear.
Keywords/Search Tags:Immigrants from turkey, Migrant workers and immigrants, Disciplinary society, Germany
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